Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Moxie adds art gallery, exhibits Springs artist Beth Eckel

Nearly a full year after its 2017 opening, local restaurant Moxie still has a lot going on — more, even, since they have officially established themselves as a staple of Springs vegan eating. Owned by Nissa and Mike Buth who also own Ola Juice Bar, Moxie has added a reliable plant-based dining option to the Eighth Street corridor, which — a bit south of Moxie — is also home to vegan eatery Burrowing Owl.

This week, Moxie will launch a new aspect of the business: the Moxie Art Gallery. Nissa Buth says this is the restaurant’s first big structural addition. “We’ve always had that [an art gallery] in mind, but it’s just been put on the back-burner so we can get restaurant operations where we want them,” Buth says.

She enlisted the help of her father, Dan Wecks, to establish the gallery space. He brings plenty of experience and expertise to the table, having worked with the Business of Arts Center (now the Manitou Arts Center), the Kennedy Center and Imagination Celebration.

Opening Dec. 6, the Moxie Art Gallery will feature its first artist: recent Colorado Springs transplant Beth Eckel. Hailing from Dallas, Texas, Eckel works in mixed media, creating unique realistic artwork on a canvas of book pages and sheet music.

Opening night will also feature a special Moxie menu, so you can enjoy some vegan fare with your art.

Buth says they plan to rotate artists monthly, and she encourages local artists to get in touch if they are interested in exhibiting on Moxie’s walls. Interested artists can get in touch through Moxie’s website.